Battle

A Poem by KarenC

Take two steps and fall back in
This game of life I cannot win
I can't recall when it began
This road I chose, I walked the land
Things got so dark could barely see
The dark crept in, inside of me
The road was sloped under my feet
The ground beneath so very steep
Around and down I slid wondering would it ever end
I saw the hole before me and I almost slid right in
I looked into its depths but there was nothing to be seen
And though I felt no wind, a shiver stole through me
How do I get out? Surely not this gaping hole
My only other option is these steep and sloping walls
I climbed and climbed success evading
Each slip back down my hopes were fading
My mind would tell me someone will come
They'd reach down in, pull me from harm
Frustration set, this can't be done I said
These walls to steep, I can't get out, I'd rather just be dead
The ground began to shake and rumble
My footing, never sure, began to stumble
The walls crumbled down racing to the hole
As the ledge beneath my feet began to crack and fold
My heart raced fast, I fear to die this way
This chasm will engulf me and what will people say?
The shaking stopped so suddenly, my toes along the edge
I braced myself along the wall and looked above my head
People here and there I saw just going about their day
I reached my arms up to them unsure of what to say
"Please help, I'm down, the road I chose was wrong
I don't know how to help myself, I've been here for so long"
Some people glanced at me with pity or disgust
Which made me more embarrassed, reminded just what I'd become
Through the crowd of faces, familiar there were some
But no one reached to help me, not a single one
My heart began to ache, pain and despair engulfing me
How could no one care? How can this even be?
And when the rumble came again I cared not in the least
I jumped right down into the hole with tears upon my cheeks